Data sources and standards

PermitNotebook is only as good as its sources. We build every page from official government material and the building codes that those governments adopt, in a fixed order of authority, and we tell you on each page how confident we are.

1. Official local government

The primary source for every page is the locality's own permit authority: the county or city building, development services, or inspections department, including its permit portal and published fee schedule. This is what we link to and cite first, because the locality is the body that actually issues the permit and enforces the rules.

2. State building codes

Most permit thresholds are not invented locally. They come from the building code each state adopts, which localities then administer and sometimes amend. Examples include the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code, the Florida Building Code, and the California Residential Code. When a value reflects the state code rather than a locality-specific page, we label it as such.

3. ICC model codes

Most state residential codes are based on the International Residential Code (IRC), a model code for one and two family homes published by the International Code Council (ICC). The IRC sets common baselines, such as the exemptions for small detached accessory structures, that many jurisdictions inherit. We treat it as context, never as a substitute for the adopted state or local code.

What we do not use

We do not cite contractor blogs, forums, listing sites, or other third party pages as the source for a requirement. If a value can only be found on a non official page, we leave it blank or mark it as not confirmed rather than publish it.

Confidence and corrections

Every permit page can show a confidence label that tells you whether the answer was confirmed on the official page, drawn from an official source we could not open directly, based on the building code, or simply not confirmed. You can read the full method on our how we verify page, and report any error with the link on each page.

This is a reference to help you reach the official source faster. It is not legal advice and not a replacement for the permit office. Always confirm current requirements directly with the office before starting a project.